Indonesia Shows Seven Coffee Variants in Seoul`s Coffee Expo

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta -Indonesian coffees made an appearance in Seoul's Coffee Expo - the largest coffee exhibition in South Korea - where seven top varietals were showcased and offered in the event that took place between April 14-17, 2016.

"We are trying to introduce several Indonesian commodities into the South Korean market - and our coffees have a large potential to make it big in South Korea," said the Indonesian Ambassador for South Korea, John A. Prasetio through a statement released on Monday, April 18, 2016.

South Korea is known to have imported some US$500 million worth of coffee in 2015 alone.

Among the varietals that were showcased were Sumatran Mandheling, Blue Batak, Aroma Toba, Aceh Gayo, Robustas, as well as varietals from Toraja and Lampung. "The Mandheling has been famous in South Korea for quite some time - in fact, it is known as the King of Indonesian coffees," said Prasetio.

Prasetio hopes that Indonesian coffee growers would recognize the potential of the South Korean market, and increase their efforts to promote their produces in the country - this year, Indonesian companies that participated aimed to increase sales to US$3 million per year by participating through the four-day exhibition.

The Indonesian Pavilion - where Indonesia's local varietals were showcased - were designed using a 'One Island' concept. Seven pillars were erected and decorated to introduce Indonesia's top coffee producing regions - including Gayo and Mandheling in Sumatra, Java, Bali, Flores, Sulawesi, and Papua.

In additional to business meetings, cupping lessons and coffee tasting were also offerred during the exhibition. The film, Aroma of Heaven, were also screened in the middle of the Indonesian Pavilion. "We designed a special screening area where visitors could watch educational and promotional films about coffee," said Prasetio.

VINDRY FLORENTIN